ASO Closes Season

Alexandria Symphony Orchestra looks ahead to next year.

"O Passionate Voice," the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra’s 2008-2009 Season Grand Finale concert on May 2 features three soul-stirring, transcendent, and unforgettably melodic masterpieces: Symphonic Suite from "South Pacific"; Wagner’s "Tannhauser Overture"; and Tchaikovsky’s "Symphony No. 5." This irresistibly "singable" program is the climactic conclusion to our popular Inspired by Voice season.

"South Pacific"’s heart-warming music that will be performed in the upcoming May 2 concert could just as easily have been included on next season’s 2009-2010 program, Inspired by Nature. This exuberant season-long celebration of nature and its intrinsic connection to music includes an All-Beethoven concert, Respighi’s "Pines of Rome," Mahler’s "Songs of the Earth," Carmina Burana, and Vivaldi’s "Four Seasons."

In our 2009-2010 Inspired by Nature season you will hear some of our favorite guest artists who are returning by popular demand. Tenor Ta’u Pupu’a will be singing Mahler’s "Songs of the Earth," pianist Yulia Gorenman will perform Beethoven’s poetic "Piano Concerto No. 4" and Carlos Rodriguez will dazzle you with Gershwin’s toe-tapping "Piano Concerto." The ASO also welcomes Washington National Opera’s Elizabeth Bishop, violinist Leonid Sushansky, flutist Josué Casillas, and the husband-wife violin duo MarcOlivia,

I am also very excited to announce a dynamic new ASO series that will begin next season. Our popular Sunday afternoon concerts have been reformatted to include interactive demonstrations given by the musicians as well as exciting visuals and inter-arts collaborations. The style of these concerts will be more relaxed but the music-making will be as red-hot as ever. Your Sunday ASO experience will be enhanced by a deeper exploration of music presented with an extra special flair!

The 2009-2010 Inspired by Nature Season celebrates the mesmerizing spell that nature has cast over composers throughout the ages. Our natural world certainly continues to inspire contemporary composers like myself. My Haiku Suite: Three Nature Poems for Sakuhachi and Orchestra will premiere on March 14, 2010 in our "Songs of the Earth" Sunday concert. I wrote my own "songs of the earth" after journeying through Asia and having been inspired by the overwhelming beauty of the countryside, mountains and seas.